Magog municipal election, 2009

Updated on Sep 25, 2024

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The 2009 Magog municipal election was held on November 1, 2009, to elect a mayor and councillors in the city of Magog, Quebec. In the mayoral contest, Vicki May Hamm was elected over incumbent Marc Poulin.

Results

Vicki May Hamm has a diploma in social work from the Cégep de Sherbrooke and has been involved in several public initiatives in Magog. In 2003, she campaigned for an unsuccessful proposal to undo the merger of Magog Township with the city of Magog. She was elected to the Magog municipal council in 2005, defeating incumbent councillor Michel Voyer in the city's fourth ward. She chaired the toponynmy committee after the election and was responsible for overseeing street name changes in the amalgamated community. In 2006, Hamm was the only member of council to oppose a commercial re-zoning that allowed for the possible establishment of a Wal-Mart store. She won an upset victory over Marc Poulin for the mayoralty in 2009. During the campaign, she supported development in the Mont-Orford National Park. In 2010, she initiated a re-organization of Magog's administrative structure. By virtue of her position as mayor, Hamm also serves on the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality, where she chaired the local development centre until her resignation in August 2010. In November 2010, she took part in the reconstruction of an orphanage in Haiti.

Marc Poulin was first elected as mayor of Magog in 1998, after serving as a councillor for twelve years. The following year, he launched a significant residential development project and a December blood drive. In 2001, he promoted a merger between Magog, Magog Township and Omerville; the provincial government mandated this merger the following year, and Poulin was elected as mayor of the expanded city in December 2002. He declined an offer to run as a Parti Québécois candidate in the 2003 provincial election, saying that he was not a supporter of Quebec sovereigntism. He was re-elected to a third term as mayor in 2005, without opposition. Poulin was defeated in 2009 following a divisive campaign. He has openly criticized Vicki May Hamm, his successor, and has said that he may run for mayor again in 2013.

Alain Vanden Eynden is a businessperson in Magog. He spoke against proposed development at the head of Lake Memphremagog in 2000, arguing that the area's tourist appeal depends on its environmental integrity. He was elected to the Magog municipal council in 2005, winning a four-way contest in the city's fourth district. In 2008, he supported a referendum initiative for a new library. In 2009, Vicky May Hamm accused Vanden Eynden of conspiring with Marc Poulin to siphon votes away from her; this accusation was rejected. In 2010, Vanden Eynden was president of the Magog Orford colors festival.

Diane Pelletier is a former regional director of Quebec's ministry of culture and communications. She has also served as chair of the Comite du patrimoine paysager estrien, a group devoted to preserving landscapes. Her campaign in 2009 was centred on environmental issues. She served as chair of Magog's environmental and technical services committee after the election; in 2010, she organized a municipal composting competition.

Source: Official results, Government of Quebec

References

Magog municipal election, 2009 Wikipedia

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